Mail-Well Offers Invisible Ink Mailers

NEW YORK -- Incorporating technology developed by a document-authentication company, Mail-Well Inc. debuted a mailer yesterday that uses invisible ink that becomes visible when friction is applied to it.

The "Rub 'n Reveal" ink, which Mail-Well announced at DMD Marketing Conference New York here, works like a scratch-off card. Using a fingernail or coin, consumers scratch or rub the ink, causing it to become visible and revealing a special offer or incentive on the mailer.

Unlike scratch offs, Rub 'n Reveal ink leaves behind no residue after it is scratched. According to Mail-Well, the ink makes the mailer more interactive and piques the curiosity of consumers, making them more likely to open the mailer.

"Over the years, many different vehicles for marketing to customers have been utilized trying to accomplish that objective," said David Law, direct of business development for Mail-Well, Englewood, CO. "There hasn't been anything new in the industry in quite some time."

Mail-Well can produce Rub 'n Reveal-ink mailers on all of its equipment, including high-speed in-line presses, and the ink is up to 75 percent cheaper to produce than scratch offs, Law said. The ink is currently available in red, blue, black and green.

Mail-Well has a three-year agreement with Nocopi Technologies, West Conshohocken, PA, for use of the ink in direct mailers. Nocopi specializes in developing ways to prevent counterfeiting and product diversions.

Mail-Well has tested mailers using the Rub 'n Reveal ink by mailing some to itself and by using them with some of its established customers, Law said. The sensitivity of the ink to friction can be adjusted to ensure than it does not become visible accidentally while in the mail.

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